Starting Off Right
by rawpotato
Summary: You spend the new year the same way you spend New Year's. Make sure it's how you want it.


_Hey Guys... my midnight kiss story. Because you always gotta have a kiss at midnight. Am I right? Of course I'm right. OHMYGOSH... Grey's is back Jan 6! Holla. Who's excited? Don't lie._

_Happy Hunting- rawpotato_

_ps. I still don't own Grey's Anatomy... sad face._

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"No, Daddy, I'm sure." Arizona Robbins sighed into the receiver of her phone, the traditional Robbins Family New Years Call, slowly grating on her last nerves, as she answered, for the thousandth time, her father's question.

"Daniel, she's already told you that." Arizona sent a silent cheer up for her mother, at the same as she melted into the love and softness she could hear in her mother's voice. If there was one thing that Arizona could be absolutely sure of, it was that her mother and her father loved each other.

"I know Kate." Her father's booming bass voice came across the line, the same love and softness in his voice that was in her mothers. Arizona sighed, thankful for her parents. "I'm just worried about her."

"She told you she's fine, what do you have to worry about?" Kate Robbins questioned over the line. Arizona could see her mother laying her hand gently on her father's arm, and the way that his much larger hand covered hers, twining their fingers.

"I still worry. She's my baby girl." Daniel Robbins was not a man who bends, and Arizona knowing this, passed the hitch in his voice at his words off as a slight cold. But her heart soared none the less.

"She's still on the line guys." She laughed at her parents, and added, "So stop talking about her as if she isn't." Though this was also tradition on these family calls, her parents rambling on about her as if she wasn't there.

"But sweetie... I used... what's it called... goog..." Her father question, his lack of technical skills clearly notwithstanding.

"Google dear." Her mother offered.

"Yeah, the Google." Arizona had a tough time holding in her laughter at his reference to the search engine as 'the Google', "And it says no one says no to the Carter-Maddison grant."

"I told you Daddy, I didn't say no to the grant." Arizona sighed once more, hoping that this would be the last time that she had to explain this to her parents. "I said no to winning the Carter-Maddison grant and being in Africa. I accepted the Carter-Maddison grant and have allowed other, experienced surgeons to be in Africa."

"But you made a commitment to them." These were the words of her father, a man dedicated to his word, and standing on that word no matter the consequence.

"Yes Daddy, I know, and they have the best surgeons in the world there, fulfilling that commitment." Arizona was glad that they had yet to reach her as a failure, because she might hang up the phone, something that's she's never done before in her life. She was tired of explaining herself, to anyone not just her parents, she had other commitments, and needed to honor those. There was no failure in that.

"But I-" She cut her father off, before he could get started.

"Look Daddy, yes, I made a commitment, to you it seems that I didn't follow through, but I have. Those kids are still there, getting the care they deserve and I'm here..." She trailed off, tears forming in her eyes, not able to say suffering for choosing to honor the wrong commitment.

Because she couldn't allow those tears to fall, they would just lead to more heartbreak, and she couldn't stand more heartbreak at the moment.

"She still hasn't talked to you, sweetie?" Her mother's soft voice filled the silence that had descended on the line, and Arizona allowed the first few tears to fall.

"No." She responded, angrily wiping away the tears. She closed her eyes and fought the urge to breakdown. She was a good man in a storm, and the hurricane she was in now was no spring shower. She would stand strong and not cry. Authority issues notwithstanding.

"Have you tried talking to her again?" This from her father, who's voice once again held softness and love, this time directed at her.

"I don't want to talk about it." She couldn't. Not again. Not with her parents who would probably only say that she should try again. But they'd been in love with each other for more than 45 years, they'd never known the heartbreak that she was suffering. Not that she begrudged them that happiness, but they really didn't know what they were talking about.

"Okay." Both her parents said at the same time.

Silence filled the air once again, and Arizona opened her eyes to look around at her surroundings. All the kids she could see were asleep, all their monitors were giving good readouts and the lone nurse at the station was flipping through a magazine, her eyes flicking up now and then. The clock behind the nurse read 11:51, and Arizona was thankful that this call would soon be coming to an end.

"Well... we should let you go then Arizona." Her mother softened, whispering something to her father.

"I know, so you can kiss at midnight." She replied quickly, glad that her parents had their own traditions.

"Yes, because how you spend New Year's, is how you will spend the year." Arizona joined her father on the last few lines, his familiar phrase.

"I hope you have a good New Years, Arizona." Her mother offered over the line, and Arizona suddenly had an idea. _11:52. _She knew what she would do. She knew she might get slapped, but she knew what she had to do. Because how you spend New Year's is how you spend the year, and depressed, crying and alone is not how she wanted to spend the year.

She's had enough of that over the last few weeks, a whole year might be the death of her inner perkiness.

"I will." She said, determinedly turning from her spot and rushing towards the pit, where she knew that her New Years and some of the other attending's would be bringing in the countdown.

"I love you guys," she said absentmindedly, her focus not on her parents, but what she wanted from the new year.

"We love you too. Call us tomorrow." Her mother said, echoed by her father.

"I will, bye." Though her response was cut short, she flipped her phone shut and picked her pace to a run as she tried to make it to her destination before midnight. _11:55, _her watch read, and she opted for the stairs rather than the worlds slowest elevator.

She ran through the hospital, dodging gurneys, patrons, orderlies and nurse as she rushed, almost frantically toward the commitment she had left behind. She was a good man in a storm, and this was this pinnacle of it, and she would rise up and be better than she knew she had been.

Finally, after four floors, several almost crashes, one apology thrown over her shoulder, and a stitch in her side, Arizona made it to the pit and the conference room where most of her friends were gathered, all smiles and sparkling cider as they were all on call and on shift and opting out of the champagne.

Though she couldn't breathe, she stopped in the doorway and looked into the room, looking for Calliope. There was a large number of people in the room, and they were moving around, counting down slowly as the second hand struggled on for its goal.

_6..._

She couldn't see her, was she even here? If she wasn't here, then where was she? Panic started setting in.

_5..._

She couldn't fail now. There! Beside Mark who was hugging Lexie. Arizona's heart broke in that second, seeing the room pairing off, leaving Callie by herself.

_4..._

Standing she ignored the protest of her lungs, the cry of her legs to stop as she pushed her way into the room, knocking people aside on her way to her goal.

_3..._

She pushed past Mark, and took a surprised Callie into her arms, their eyes locking and surprise and fear being etched on her beautiful features, confusion and discontent evident in her brown eyes. Eyes that Arizona couldn't help but get lost in.

_2..._

"Arizona..." Callie paused, her hands coming to rest on Arizona's hips, which the blond couldn't help but revel in. She'd wanted for so long for Callie to touch her again.

_1..._

She didn't have time to make her intentions known, instead, she just closed her eyes, sent a prayer to whoever needed it, and went from broke, leaning forward and crashing her lips against Calliope's, longing and desire exploding in her chest.

"_Happy New Year!" _A few of her friends shouted, but the room had stopped, and Arizona pulled away from Callie just as she started to kiss back.

Nothing was happening. They stood, arm in arm, staring at each other, Callie's lips puckered for a kiss, and Arizona's chest heaving from her run and the kiss. Blue eyes locked on brown and Arizona didn't know what was happening, but she wasn't questioning it as Callie hadn't moved and neither had any of their friends.

Then suddenly Callie stepped back and ran away, leaving Arizona in a room full of people that were staring at her. But it was Mark that got her attention, waving after Callie like Arizona should follow her. She had no choice but to listen to him, as she turned quickly and followed the running Callie.

"Calliope." She called, finally finding her voice through the loss of breath. "Wait, stop."

"What the hell was that?" Callie screamed at her, stopping in a corridor that was thankfully empty.

"I just..." Arizona started, not knowing how to explain herself, or her actions.

"Yeah?" Callie prompted, tears in her eyes and fury in her voice.

"You spend the year how you spend New Year's." She offered lamely, stopping several feet short of Callie, and her furious pacing,

"What?"

"My parents always kiss at midnight, saying that you spend the year, how you spend New Year's. I couldn't not kiss you. It's... like bad luck." Arizona explained, suddenly hoping that her decision to kiss Calliope hadn't ruined her chances of kissing her again.

"Oh." Callie replied, stopping instantly and turning her profile to face Arizona, causing hope to well in the smaller woman.

"Oh?" Arizona questioned not sure where she was going with that.

Callie opened her mouth to speak, but shut it instantly, coming closer and wrapping her arms around Arizona, who was instantly confused, but again not questioning it. Before she knew what was happening Callie covered her lips with a small chaste kips, and Arizona didn't hesitate to kiss her back. It was soft and chaste and over way too soon as Callie pulled away, dropping her arms back to her sides.

Arizona mirrored her actions, instantly missing the warmth and closeness that they provided.

"There, spent in the New Year." Callie said, and started walking away, a smile on her face lighting her features in a way Arizona hadn't seen in a long time.

Not able to move, Arizona just watched as Callie walked away. When she turned the corner and disappeared, Arizona put her fingers to her lips, smiling herself. 2011 might be a good year indeed.


End file.
